Positioning method and related apparatus

Abstract

An embodiment of this disclosure discloses a positioning method. The method includes: A satellite sends a first reference signal and a second reference signal to a terminal device, and a network device obtains a receiving time difference between the terminal device receiving the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The network device determines location information of the terminal device based on location information of the satellite when the satellite sends the first reference signal, location information of the satellite when the satellite sends the second reference signal, a sending time interval between the satellite sending the first reference signal and the second reference signal, and the receiving time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

1 . A positioning method, comprising:
 receiving, by a network device, a first receiving time difference from a terminal device, wherein the first receiving time difference indicates a difference between a time at which the terminal device receives a first reference signal and a time at which the terminal device receives a second reference signal, the first reference signal is sent to the terminal device by a satellite, and the second reference signal is sent to the terminal device by the satellite;   obtaining, by the network device, a first time interval, wherein the first time interval indicates a time interval between a moment at which the satellite sends the first reference signal and a moment at which the satellite sends the second reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, first coordinates and second coordinates, wherein the first coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the first reference signal, and the second coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the second reference signal; and   determining, by the network device, first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first time interval, and the first receiving time difference, wherein the first location information is location information of the terminal device that is obtained by the network device through measurement.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the network device comprises a ground base station and the satellite; or   the network device comprises the satellite.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal sent to the terminal device by the satellite are from the ground base station. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
 obtaining, by the network device, a first feeding delay and a second feeding delay, wherein the first feeding delay is a transmission delay of the first reference signal from the ground base station to the satellite, and the second feeding delay is a transmission delay of the second reference signal from the ground base station to the satellite; and   the determining, by the network device, first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first receiving time difference, and the first time interval comprises:   determining, by the network device, the first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first receiving time difference, the first time interval, the first feeding delay, and the second feeding delay.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the network device, second location information from the terminal device, wherein the second location information is location information of the terminal device that is obtained through measurement by the terminal device; and   verifying, by the network device using the first location information, whether the second location information is accurate.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining, by the network device, a first time interval comprises:
 determining, by the network device based on a first beam direction, the first reference signal and the second reference signal that correspond to the first receiving time difference, wherein the first beam direction is a beam direction in which the terminal device sends the first receiving time difference to the satellite; and   determining, by the network device, the first time interval based on the sending time of the first reference signal and the sending time of the second reference signal.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the network device, a second receiving time difference from the terminal device, wherein the second receiving time difference indicates a difference between the time at which the terminal device receives the second reference signal and a time at which the terminal device receives a third reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, a second time interval, wherein the second time interval indicates a time interval between the moment at which the satellite sends the second reference signal and a moment at which the satellite sends the third reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, third coordinates, wherein the third coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the third reference signal; and   determining, by the network device, the first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the third coordinates, the first time interval, the second time interval, the first receiving time difference, and the second receiving time difference.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the obtaining, by the network device, a second time interval comprises:
 determining, by the network device based on a second beam direction, the second reference signal and the third reference signal that correspond to the second receiving time difference, wherein the second beam direction is a beam direction in which the terminal device sends the second receiving time difference to the satellite; and   determining, by the network device, the second time interval based on the sending time of the second reference signal and the sending time of the third reference signal.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein an index of the first reference signal is different from an index of the third reference signal when the second beam direction is different from the first beam direction. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 sending, by the network device, first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information indicates that the first reference signal and the second reference signal are used for positioning measurement.   
     
     
         11 . A communication apparatus, comprising at least one processor and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a network device, a first receiving time difference from a terminal device, wherein the first receiving time difference indicates a difference between a time at which the terminal device receives a first reference signal and a time at which the terminal device receives a second reference signal, the first reference signal is sent to the terminal device by a satellite, and the second reference signal is sent to the terminal device by the satellite;   obtaining, by the network device, a first time interval, wherein the first time interval indicates a time interval between a moment at which the satellite sends the first reference signal and a moment at which the satellite sends the second reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, first coordinates and second coordinates, wherein the first coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the first reference signal, and the second coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the second reference signal; and   determining, by the network device, first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first time interval, and the first receiving time difference, wherein the first location information is location information of the terminal device that is obtained by the network device through measurement.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the network device comprises a ground base station and the satellite; or   the network device comprises the satellite.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal sent to the terminal device by the satellite are from the ground base station. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 obtaining, by the network device, a first feeding delay and a second feeding delay, wherein the first feeding delay is a transmission delay of the first reference signal from the ground base station to the satellite, and the second feeding delay is a transmission delay of the second reference signal from the ground base station to the satellite; and   the determining, by the network device, first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first receiving time difference, and the first time interval comprises:   determining, by the network device, the first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the first receiving time difference, the first time interval, the first feeding delay, and the second feeding delay.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, by the network device, second location information from the terminal device, wherein the second location information is location information of the terminal device that is obtained through measurement by the terminal device; and   verifying, by the network device using the first location information, whether the second location information is accurate.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the obtaining, by the network device, a first time interval comprises:
 determining, by the network device based on a first beam direction, the first reference signal and the second reference signal that correspond to the first receiving time difference, wherein the first beam direction is a beam direction in which the terminal device sends the first receiving time difference to the satellite; and   determining, by the network device, the first time interval based on the sending time of the first reference signal and the sending time of the second reference signal.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, by the network device, a second receiving time difference from the terminal device, wherein the second receiving time difference indicates a difference between the time at which the terminal device receives the second reference signal and a time at which the terminal device receives a third reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, a second time interval, wherein the second time interval indicates a time interval between the moment at which the satellite sends the second reference signal and a moment at which the satellite sends the third reference signal;   obtaining, by the network device, third coordinates, wherein the third coordinates indicate a location at which the satellite sends the third reference signal; and   determining, by the network device, the first location information based on the first coordinates, the second coordinates, the third coordinates, the first time interval, the second time interval, the first receiving time difference, and the second receiving time difference.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the obtaining, by the network device, a second time interval comprises:
 determining, by the network device based on a second beam direction, the second reference signal and the third reference signal that correspond to the second receiving time difference, wherein the second beam direction is a beam direction in which the terminal device sends the second receiving time difference to the satellite; and   determining, by the network device, the second time interval based on the sending time of the second reference signal and the sending time of the third reference signal.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein an index of the first reference signal is different from an index of the third reference signal when the second beam direction is different from the first beam direction. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 sending, by the network device, first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information indicates that the first reference signal and the second reference signal are used for positioning measurement.